National Logistics Day: Much deserved recognition for a critical industry

CL Synergy Board of Directors (from left): Executive Director Anuradha Sooriyaarachchi, Executive Director Udara Widanagamage, Managing Director Roshan Silva, Director – Finance Janaka Udamulla, 

Non-Executive Director Sanjaya Bandara, Chairman Dharma Deerasinghe, Executive Director Shehani Kulatunga, Non-Executive Director Thilan Wijesinghe, and Non-Executive Director Nirosh De Silva 

With the Government of Sri Lanka declaring 16 August as National Logistics Day, one of the oldest and yet most unappreciated industries in the country, and the world finally receives due recognition and reward. Logistics and transportation have been around for much longer than recorded history. It has been and remains to be the critical backbone of facilitating trade, and logisticians have been in the role even before it was officially named and designated.

Until the latter half of the 20th century, logistics in Sri Lanka was very much an informal trade, with a high level of fragmentation and informal participation. For example, when ships historically called at Sri Lankan ports throughout our country’s rich history, the people who worked on the docks facilitating the loading, unloading, storage, and movement of goods were in fact engaging in logistics. Fast forward to today, and logistics is a crucial industry, with organisation, professionalism, rules and regulations, without which the world would simply cease to function the way we know it. Every single item in your possession, even the physical newspaper, computer, tablet or mobile phone with which you are reading this article wouldn’t with you, if not for logistics.

That is why CL Synergy is extremely pleased to celebrate National Logistics Day, in recognition of this industry. It has been around since 2004, and has grown into a formidable entity, engaged in local and global operations, and has done its part in taking Sri Lankan experience and expertise to the world, generating valuable foreign exchange as well. Headed by the dynamic and unconventional Roshan Silva as Managing Director, CL Synergy has always sought to do things differently, by breaking the mould and questioning traditional methodologies. This is reflected in its organisational structure as well as office layout, where a culture of working together to move forward as a group is a key characteristic and pillar of its company. Its employees and management teams engage in a wide variety of activities outside work, in the areas of sport, leisure and community engagement, which we actively encourage and support.

The CL Synergy team is a resilient band of dynamic, qualified, and experienced individuals who are capable of weathering the myriad of storms that are common in the transportation and logistics industry. The industry was shaken to its core on a global scale with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it faced tremendous challenges to ensure smooth functionality and uninterrupted operations. However, its resilience and responsiveness to change saw it emerge stronger than before, providing the best service to its customers.

Roshan himself is passionate about recognition for the industry as a whole. While he was President of the Sri Lanka Logistics and Freight Forwarders Association (SLFFA), the apex body representing the industry in Sri Lanka, he conceptualised the National Logistics Awards, a dedicated awards ceremony aimed at recognising and awarding the best performers in the industry. The NLA 2022 took place on 23 March 2022, at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. Roshan currently holds the position of Immediate Past Chairman at the SLFFA. 

Expressing his sentiments on National Logistics Day 2022, he had this to say: “Logisticians were challenged to the peak of their competencies and capabilities when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020. Nevertheless, they adapted to the environment in a swift manner, took on the risk of increased credit exposures, and we never saw hesitation when people were required to work above and beyond their regular duties, towards the shared goal of keeping things moving. Never did we feel that these heroes would give up, nor that the notion of giving up was one that they ever considered. 

“They soldiered on and kept things moving, facilitating much-required essentials for life, as well as the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. This is the true spirit of logisticians, and it is a spirit that we should all admire and respect. This spirit is charged by perseverance and dedication, and shall be recognised, rewarded, cheered, and encouraged on National Logistics Day 2022, much like it was during the inaugural National Logistics Awards held in March this year. 

“We can’t expect Sri Lanka or the world to go back to pre-COVID normalcy. Critically, we can’t expect Sri Lanka to match up to the global post-COVID ‘new normal’ either, as we are weathering an economic crisis. There needs to be recovery before there is stability. As logisticians, we see the long and tough road ahead, but us, and the entire private sector are committed as always to ensure that businesses function as usual, as best they can. 

“As a responsible corporate entity, CL Synergy strongly advocates peaceful and non-violent expressions of dissent where necessary and call for all stakeholders to respect the Laws of Sri Lanka. At this critical time, competent, responsive, and definitive leadership is what is required, and if each and every one of us play our part, Sri Lanka has a very good chance of recovering, and bouncing back stronger than ever.”